


Try a Taste

by sugarb1n



Category: Stray Kids (Band)
Genre: Domestic Bliss, Falling for each other, Fluff, Kissing, M/M, Pining, cooking together, honestly i just wanted to write a soft fic, neither of them know it but they're whipped, not enough snuggling smh, oh and chan cant handle spicy food lmao, they both have a crush on each other but like, theyre too dumb to know it
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-01
Updated: 2021-02-04
Packaged: 2021-03-18 20:26:48
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 4,298
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29124138
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sugarb1n/pseuds/sugarb1n
Summary: The rest of the members are away at dinner, and Chan asks Minho to stay home with him. Cue: cooking, arguing, pining, and blushing.
Relationships: Bang Chan/Lee Minho | Lee Know
Comments: 6
Kudos: 111





	1. Chapter 1

"It  _ smells _ like it might not kill me," Minho said, lips curling as he pulled the spoon away from him a little bit. "But I know you."

Chan huffed and snatched the spoon away, sniffing at it reproachfully before setting it back in the pan. "It just needs more garlic. And love."

Minho laughed. "It doesn't need love it needs less sugar. Like a lot less, I don't know why you dumped so much in."

"It is not my fault you like your tteokbokki hot enough to kill a man."

"I like my tteokbokki  _ interesting _ ," Minho poked at the pan. "Not even that spicy. Add some red pepper flakes."

Chan gave a long suffering sigh, his expression betrayed by the affectionate look he leveled at Minho. The other smirked at him and turned to dig through the cupboard for some spice while the older sneakily spooned a little more garlic into the pan. He stirred and tried a taste, his face shifting in displeasure as he set the spoon back down with a sigh.

"Told you so," a triumphant voice piped up from beside him, and Chan rolled his eyes as patiently as he could muster as a container was thrust in front of him, taking the chili flakes before Minho could even  _ think _ about saying anything else. He sprinkled in as little as he could physically manage while Minho dramatically clutched his heart. " _ Chrisopher _ ," he whined. "You might as well not even add any at this point."

"You don't have to hover," Chan waved him away from the stove. "You're not the only one in the dorms who can cook."

"I'm not letting you poison me. You? I can let that slide. Me? I'm too handsome to die," Minho joked, pushing lightly at the other's shoulder. Chan smirked back at him and shook his head, stirring the contents of the pan. Sure Minho was an amazing (if not a begrudging, unwilling) cook, but Chan wanted to do something nice for the younger. When the rest of the members had decided on going out for dinner tonight, he'd asked Minho to stay behind with him. It kind of made him shy to think about it, which was why he focused on stirring the tteokbokki and forcing everything else down. 

Minho was  _ not _ making it easy though. Chan had kind of expected him to fuck around on his phone or watch tv while he cooked, not accidentally brush their hands together every so often, or rest his chin on the shorter's shoulder to oversee the progress on the stove. That wasn't to say he didn't prefer it this way of course. Despite his hesitance, he really enjoyed that Minho was with him right now. It was a pleasant, to say the least. 

That, and he kind of enjoyed the younger's company. That was a lie, he really enjoyed the younger's company. His words may be abrasive, but his actions said everything his mouth wouldn't. It was obvious in the way he did little favors for his members, and in the way he only complained a little when someone fell asleep on him and drooled on his shirt. It was obvious in the way he would pretend he wasn't fussing over the other members, adjusting their clothes or making an offhand comment about how they should sleep more, or even the way he'd come visit Chan in the studio when he knew it was empty. It was obvious in the way every so often Chan would have a bad day, and Minho would make some casual joke that put a smile on his face before he even knew what was happening. 

It was obvious in the way he and Chan would laugh so hard their cheeks hurt and their stomachs ached, and it made him so fucking warm and happy.

He  _ really _ wanted Minho to know how much he appreciated him. He just didn't know how to put it into words.

"Earth to Bang Chan," Minho snapped his fingers in front of the other's face. "You need to turn the heat down or you'll make a mess."

Chan glanced up in surprise. He hadn't even realized he'd been lost in thought. He peered suspiciously at the bubbles threatening to pop and splatter before reducing the heat and poking the rice cakes to test their firmness. He scooped one up and hesitantly held it out to Minho, who accepted it without question. "Thoughts?"

Minho hummed. "Give it a minute or two to soften, then add the veggies."

Chan nodded to himself triumphantly. Minho hadn't even complained about the taste, which was a wild improvement to just a little bit ago. He scooped up a rice cake for a victory treat and popped it in his mouth. 

Mmm. That  _ was _ good.

He narrowed his eyes in suspicion at Minho, who raised his hands innocently. "I did not touch your monstrosity," he grinned. "Except to make it better. But in my defense you literally leave earth when you space out, so I had to take the opening."

Chan sniffed at the spoon curiously. "What did you add?"

Minho smirked and shrugged with lavish finesse. "Secret family recipe. If I told you I'd get disowned you know. Keep stirring."

Chan chuckled to himself and obeyed, sneaking a glance at the younger as he watched the pan diligently.

"Thank you, by the way."

This time Minho was the one looking up in surprise, their eyes meeting. "For what?"

Chan felt a blush creeping up so he stubbornly fixed his gaze on the spoon while he stirred. "Staying back to make this with me. Helping me out, even you convince yourself I'm a lost cause after this."

Minho snorted at that. "I knew you were a lost cause before this ever happened. It's really tragic that you have to compete with a chef as good as I am." 

Chan barked a laugh, grinning at the other. His smile widened even further when Minho grinned back, knocking their shoulders together before stealing the spoon. Chan watched in fascination as he scooped up another rice cake and brought it to his mouth, tasting thoughtfully. His lips looked kind of pretty tonight. "They're done."

Chan shocked himself into averting his eyes, nodding at the pan. "Right," he chuckled nervously, reaching for the additions he and Minho prepared together. He carefully poured them in, causing Minho to roll his eyes before flicking Chan's hand and forcing him to dump the rest of it unceremoniously into the pan. 

"I know they say all these sappy things about putting love into cooking, but you don't have to be slow about it," he rolled his eyes, and Chan found himself rolling them back with the edges of his lips quirked up. He made an exaggerated show of putting the board back at a glacial pace, watching Minho's brow twitch. The younger huffed good-naturedly before stealing the spoon and stirring the ingredients in. "This actually looks kinda good," he commented, lifting the spoon to watch the sauce pour back into the pan. "Good job."

Chan glanced over at him in shock, waiting for the second part that turned the compliment into a witty backhand. When Minho instead gave him an expectant look, his eyebrows raised up with a pleased grin. "Aww, the ice over your heart finally melted?"

Minho gave an offended snort, smacking at him. "I complimented you and I expect thanks, and what do I get?" he whined. "I guess I'll keep it to myself from now on."

"Nooo," Chan laughed, wrapping his arm around Minho apologetically. He was the only man in the world naive enough to miss the blush that spread across the other's cheeks. "Thank you for the compliment Minho," he said genuinely. The other scoffed and turned his head, his stirring speeding up even as he made no move to remove Chan's arm. 

They fell into something more comfortable, commenting occasionally on the status of the tteokbokki before Minho announced with a flourish that it was finished. 

They ate on the couch rather than the table, sitting cross legged with their knees touching as they shoveled food to the sound of whatever kdrama was on, occasionally making snarky comments about terrible writing and predictable plot points. When they were finished Chan took their dishes, but was surprised when Minho quietly joined him in washing them. _And_ he only complained about it a little . It made Chan's cheeks warm. When they sat back on the couch to finish their show Chan was double surprised to find Minho plopping down next to him, unapologetically sinking into his side. Blushing and with his eyes fixed on the tv, he moved his arm to the back of the couch to make it more comfortable for Minho. The other snuggled in further.

The mood felt… closer than before, after that. They both laughed a little longer every time a joke was cracked, leaned against each other a little more than they usually did, and Minho even let his head rest on Chan's shoulder while they both pretended they weren't crying at the wedding scene. It made Chan's chest swirl with a familiar feeling, more persistent than he thought he'd ever felt it. 

The telltale shouts and laughter outside broke into their quiet evening, causing them both to tense as they realized the rest of the members were home. Minho sat up, and Chan missed his warmth immediately, sitting up as well. The younger glanced over quietly, and before Chan knew it a soft kiss was pressed to his cheek. He watched in shock as Minho blushed and stood, rolling his shoulders as casually as he could manage. "Thanks for dinner, by the way, we should do this again sometime." Without another word he left.

Chan's fingers were still lightly resting over the spot on his cheek even after Minho disappeared to his room and Jisung burst through the door, closely followed (see: shoved) by a snickering Jeongin. "Hi hyung," they called out cheerfully as the rest of the members poured in. 

A grin broke over his face. "Hey guys. Did you have fun?"

"Changbin spilled another drink! Twice!" Seungmin burst out, laughing when the older pawed at him in embarrassment. The giddiness in Chan's chest meant his laughter came easily. "How about you?" Changbin asked, mostly to get the attention off of him and his wet shirt.

Chan chewed thoughtfully on that and then smiled, big and genuine. "Perfect."

  
  



	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chan and Minho cook together again, this time featuring ramen, snuggles, ice cream, and... kisses<3

"I swear to God if you slice another piece of pork thinner than my pinkie I am taking this spatula and  _ beating you with it _ ."

Chan yelped as Minho took the knife haughtily, raising his brows and meeting the other's eyes as he demonstrated (again) how to chop the meat on the board.

"You're—Chan you're dicing it, you want to chop it like this," he said, expertly and methodically sliding the knife to make deliciously sized chunks of meat. "You can cut them thick like that, but you want them about this big. It's more satisfying to pair with the noodles that way."

Chan nodded, eyes locked on the cutting board in interest. He had always known Minho could cook, but he'd never had the privilege to be his sole audience while he worked in this setting. Sure the last time the rest of the members had been out Minho had joined in while Chan tried to cook for the both of them, but this time Minho had insisted on taking the reins. In his words: 'you can help a  _ little _ , but tonight I'm working my magic.' 

To say Chan was impressed was way underselling it. Even to a man who only recently learned to make an edible dish, Minho was definitely talented. 

The younger made quick work of the steamed pork that was left before holding a piece up for Chan to examine and nod agreeably at. "Much better," he amended, and that seemed to satisfy Minho.

"Stir the noodles real quick," he commanded as he fluidly switched positions to pluck an egg out of the carton and crack it onto the buttered pan, a second closely following. The sizzle made Chan's stomach growl audibly, and he flushed when Minho glanced over and chuckled at him. 

"It smells so good," Chan sighed, stirring absently as he inhaled deeply. He caught a small whiff of Minho's cologne and his cheeks dusted pink. "Of course it smells good, you're with me," Minho smirked, reaching over to snatch the chopsticks and test the noodles. "This isn't sugar and garlic tteokbokki, Chan, this is food for kings."

"Kings without personal chefs," Chan pointed out. 

"Kings with taste," Minho said, side eyeing him.

Chan laughed at that and set the chopsticks down beside the noodle pan, peering down curiously at the green onions. The younger sighed and turned the heat down on the egg pan, picking up the knife.

"Even you can't mess up chopping green onions, but this is what I'm looking for," he grinned at Chan, slicing once before holding the chunk up. 

"Even me? Come on, I totally did a great job slicing the pork, you're just picky," he whined, taking the knife and intentionally chopping the green onions diagonally. He was surprised when Minho only glanced down and nodded easily at them before returning to the egg pan.

"Picky? No. Critical? Oh hell yeah," the younger laughed, and when he turned to grin at Chan he felt his ears turn pink as an answering grin spread across his own face. 

"Critical is a teacher scoring a test, you do this to be difficult," he chuckled, his knuckles brushing the other's as they both reached for the chopsticks in the noodle pan simultaneously. His blush deepened as he pulled back and glanced down at the green onions while Minho took over the stirring.

"What else," he asked, forcing down the odd feeling in his gut. Minho hesitated before peering down thoughtfully. "Uhh we have eggs, pork, green onions, seaweed slices, and  _ optional _ spices for the ramen. Do you want anything else?"

"Ice cream," Chan provided genuinely, and he gave an offended look when Minho laughed outright. "I meant with dinner, but we can do that too," he chuckled, moving over to poke at the eggs. "These are done."

Chan gave a small victory punch, and he was surprised to find Minho mimicking him with a lopsided smile. "You're so weird," the younger sniffed affectionately nonetheless, "get the bowls."

Obediently Chan set two bowls out and Minho split the noodles between the two of them, making sure they both got a decent amount of broth. Then, Chan watched in utter fascination as the other carefully laid the ingredients out over top of the noodles. It looked like something straight out of one of those food animes. 

By unspoken yet unanimous agreement the pair took their bowls to the couch again, turning the tv on to put a drama on for background noise. Minho took one bite and sighed in appreciation.

"Try this," he said, gathering some noodles before holding his chopsticks out for Chan. The older raised a brow at him suspiciously. "It's gonna be spicy though," he frowned.

"It's really not," Minho frowned back, much more dramatically. "I used up the chili powder for lunch today."

Chan accepted that, holding a hand under him as he took the bite off Minho's chopsticks.

His reaction was immediate, as subtle as he tried to keep it. Though the spice level was mild at best it felt like fire spread throughout his mouth. He glared the younger down as he started cackling, his ramen threatening to spill as he shook with laughter. 

"I lied," Minho snickered, wiping a tear away. "You just look so fucking goofy when you're in pain."

"I can't believe I fell for that," Chan pouted, stuffing his face with his own ramen in the vain hope to relieve the burn. 

"Me neither," Minho sighed with a grin before setting his bowl on the floor and standing up. Chan brooded over his food until the other came back, holding out a glass of milk like a peace offering. 

Chan accepted more than gratefully, and after chugging the milk down the two dug in together to the sound of some random lady on the tv sobbing over a coma patient. 

"You know," Minho said casually, and Chan quickly swallowed his bite and glanced up at him. "This is kind of fun," the other finished, settling back into the couch and keeping his eyes on the tv. "You're, like, a little less annoying than the others, I mean."

That earned the widest grin from Chan yet, and Minho glanced over only to scoff and train his eyes to the side. 

"I'm touched," Chan beamed, reaching over to rest a hand on Minho's shoulder. "Really, I am. I really enjoy spending time with you Minho, I have a lot of fun when I'm with you. And you're a great cook, too."

Minho rubbed at his cheeks irritatedly, trying to wipe the blush off. "So you're using me for my cooking then?"

"No no no, I didn't mean it like that I meant, like you're a really cool guy and I like hanging out with you a lot, you're fantastic with food but there's so much more to you than that, you're cool and funny and—"

Minho cut him off with an embarrassed chuckle. "I get it, I get it, you don't have to turn it into a speech."

When Chan didn't look away even after the dismissal Minho met his eyes with an awkward smile. "What?"

Chan snorted and shook his head, poking at his noodles. "Nothing, I just think you should hear those things more."

Minho shifted his eyes to the tv and stuffed a bite in his mouth, and just like that they fell into silence. At least, as silent as it gets with someone on the tv dramatically pronouncing their love to the main character. Minho stole a glance and found Chan's gaze fixed on the screen with a soft smile and he chuckled under his breath.

"You're pretty cool too," Minho supplied eventually, and Chan raised his brows. "You know, 'cause you should hear those things more too."

Chan's gaze stayed on him even when he averted his eyes. "Thank you," he said genuinely, and Minho suddenly decided he was finished with his noodles and stood to take care of his dishes.

It was a surprise, but not an unwelcome one when Chan followed him into the kitchen to wash his dishes as well. They worked silently side by side, elbows brushing against each other as they scrubbed their bowls out in the sink. 

It kind of made Chan's chest ache. 

When they were finished the older expected them to return to the couch, but he felt his heart drop as Minho pulled a coat on. He remembered how quickly he had been deserted the last time they did this together, the moment they heard the other members outside. His cheek burned where Minho had pressed his lips against it.

"Where are you going?" He asked, voice tight. Minho glanced up in surprise. "Aren't you coming? You said you wanted ice cream after dinner."

Relief flooded through Chan, and then excitement. He forgot all about that, but now that he was reminded of it his sweet tooth was suddenly nagging him very insistently.

Minho ended up taking them to a small stand a short drive away, the night air warm as they stood on the sidewalk under a small striped canopy and ordered. When the cones were handed down to them Chan couldn't contain his giddiness and giggled excitedly as he took a test lick.

His face shifted immediately in surprise as he glanced down at the cone, taking another loving lick before nodding with a satisfied sigh. "This is literally the best ice cream I've ever had," he gushed to a grinning Minho before holding the cone out. The younger tried a taste and nodded before holding his own cone out. "This one's even better."

It was, in fact, even better. Chan's jaw dropped at it, causing Minho's eyes to crinkle from smiling so hard. 

They ended up sending the driver away and walking the short distance home, laughing and joking with each other while Chan took every opportunity to steal a bite of Minho's ice cream. To add to the surprise and magic of the night, the younger didn't even seem to mind that much. Chan tripped over a crack in the sidewalk and dropped his cone, and Minho laughed so hard he dropped his too. They both knelt woefully over the spilled dairy, pretending to sob and receiving many strange looks from other pedestrians. They finally pulled each other back to their feet with a few lingering chuckles before Chan carefully moved what he could of the mess into a nearby trash can while Minho snorted at him. 

The rest of the walk home was even better. It wasn't long after that when Minho casually wrapped his little finger around Chan's, not seeming to take notice of the tiny glances the other shot at him. A few minutes after that Chan let the warmth in his chest test his bravery as he linked the rest of their fingers, holding Minho's hand hesitantly. When the other seemed to take it in stride, he held on a little tighter. 

If the smile never left his face the rest of the way home, only him and Minho would ever know. 

They walked through the door of the empty dorm with their hands still intertwined, reluctantly letting go to remove their jackets and plop down on the couch.

"That was so fun," Chan said softly, the corners of his lips perking up as he glanced at Minho. The other's eyes seemed to linger on his mouth before looking up and blushing with a nod. "Yeah," he agreed. "It wasn't terrible."

That only stoked the warmth in Chan's chest, and he placed his arm on the back of the couch apprehensively. Minho curled into him without hesitation, leaning against him like he owned the spot. Chan honestly wouldn't mind if he did.

"Ugh," Minho sighed, fingers curling into the older's shirt. "I forgot the remote." 

Chan glanced at where it lay on the table against the wall and chuckled. He highly doubted Minho would get up and get it, and there was no way in hell he was untangling himself from the younger when they had just sat down together. 

He hummed thoughtfully. "Tell me about your day."

Minho gave him a disbelieving look. "That's so lame," he whined, burying his face against Chan's shoulder. "You couldn't have picked a better conversation starter?"

"I'm genuinely curious," Chan protested, unable to resist a smile as Minho gagged at him. A few seconds of silence, and then the younger huffed. "Tell me about yours."

Chan blinked down at him before rolling his eyes. "It was really nice, I'm feeling pretty happy right now," he said softly, his eyes fixed on the top of Minho's head. The younger rested his head against his chest. "Me too. I… I don't mind this," he admitted. 

He sat up, and Chan was about to complain and ask him to stay when he realized Minho was looking at him. The expression he wore was unfamiliar on his face, but after noticing the distinct note of fondness Chan decided he kinda liked it like that. 

"What are you thinking about?" he asked nervously as the other's eyes trailed over his face. Minho's arms came up to link around his neck, and when Chan didn't push him away he pressed a tentative kiss to his cheek. 

They both blushed, a lot, but neither of them moved away. Chan moved in slightly and hesitated, and Minho moved in slightly before realizing the other had stopped and freezing as well. There was a brief moment of tension where they both watched each other, unbreathing, before Minho's lashes fluttered and he pressed his lips against Chan's. They kissed, slow and soft like two people who had been wanting something for a very long time but were too afraid to ask for it. And now, now that they had it, they were both afraid to break it. 

It didn't break, though, and as they both seemed to realize this Minho's hand came up to run through the back of the older's hair and Chan raised his hand to cup the younger's jaw while his other arm held him close.

It was perfect, Chan decided, having Minho pressed so closely to him while their lips moved in synchrony. So perfect that even after they pulled apart to breathe they rested their foreheads together. Minho brushed one more gentle kiss against his lips before snuggling impossibly closer to him, resting one leg over Chan's thigh and leaning his head into his neck. 

Even the loud arrival of their roommates didn't move them. Minho didn't disappear even after the door opened, and Chan didn't crack under pressure even when the members teased them about how close they were.

He didn't know what this meant for them, or how this changed things between the two, but for tonight he got to fall for the way Minho's fingers traced over his thigh every so often, and with the way the rise and fall of his chest evened out as he drifted off, and especially with the way he jumped at a particularly loud yell from Jisung's room before muttering grumpily. It was later than usual when they finally disentangled from each other and got off the couch.

They were both equally pleased when neither let the other off without one last stolen kiss. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The unpromised finishing chapter! Thank you for the support

**Author's Note:**

> And the rest was history.  
> I really just wanted to write fluffy minchan tonight so I'm ending it here, but I may honestly add another chapter some time in the future<3
> 
> I hope you liked it!


End file.
